Exercise + Diet = Lose Belly Fat

Someone asked me today whether diet alone is enough to lose belly fat. The answer is no. And here’s a bit of proof for you:

A study at Syracuse University divided 33 diabetic women into ‘diet only’ and ‘diet plus exercise’ groups. Most diabetic women gain fat around the middle because of the insulin factor – insulin is often described as the ‘fat hormone’ because of its ability to encourage fat deposition, especially on the belly.

Both groups lost an average 9.9 lbs over 3 months. However, only the ‘diet plus exercise’ group had a loss of visceral fat, which is the belly fat that surrounds internal organs. This is the really important fat to shift. You can measure your visceral fat using a good fat monitor – see here where I have put the one I use in-clinic on the weight loss section of the site. It should be below 12 to be in a healthy range. If not, you need to take some steps to reduce it.

So,you can lose weight with diet alone. But if you’re also intending to lose abdominal fat, you’ll need to add regular exercise, especially abdominal ones like sit ups and push ups.

For diet, check out the belly fat ebook and for exercise, see the 10 Minute Exercise ebook and the resources on the clinic site here.